Crop dusting unit



Dec. 2, 1952 E. M. WOOCK CROP DUSTING UNIT Filed Dec. 20

l T 0 mo Mw. M w r E ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 2, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CROP DUSTING UNIT Eric M. Woock, Lodi, Calif.

Application December 20, 1947, Serial No. 793,024

2 Claims.

This invention relates generally to improvements in crop dusting units of the power actuated, vehicle mounted type; such units being useful to distribute dusts such as insecticides, commerical fertilizers, or the like.

One object of the present invention is to provide a crop dusting unit which comprises a feed hopper and a squirrel-cage blower in novel assembly.

Another object of the invention is to provide the above assembly with a novel adjustable distributor plate at the intake of the blower; such distributor plate being adjustable to control the proportionate delivery of dust to various points in the path of travel of the blower. This is a very important feature as the proper proportioning of the dust delivery to the blower is essential to effective dusting operations; dusts of different granular size or weight requiring different adjustments of the distributor plate.

An additional object is to provide a crop dusting unit which includes an improved discharge nozzle structure.

A further object of the invention is to produce a practical and reliable device and one which will be effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the improved crop dusting unit with the lower end of the support being omitted.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the blower including the adjustable distributor plate the hopper being removed.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional elevation of the agitator mechanism and adjacent feed control shutter or valve.

Referring now more particularly to the char-- acters of reference on the drawings, the improved crop dusting unit comprises an upstanding supporting frame I adapted to be mounted on a ve hicle for transport along the ground, and which includes transversely spaced uprights la said supportingframe i having a horizontal drive shaft 2 journaled therein and driven by any convenient power means (not shown).

A vertical axis blower 3 is mounted in the supporting frame I above the drive shaft 2, and such blower includes an enclosed housing 4. The blower is of the squirrel cage type.

A spindle 5 projects downwardly from the 2, blower 3 and is driven from the drive shaft 2 by a gear assembly 6 which comprises a bevel gear Ed on the shaft 2 and a cooperating bevel pinion 6?) on spindle 5.

Discharge pipes l are connected to opposed outlets 8 of the blower housing 4 and project laterally in opposite directions. These discharge pipes l are fiat sided and decrease in width horizontally toward their outer ends; but increase in height to said ends to form relatively narrow but vertically elongated nozzles or discharge openings 9 whose area is substantially the same as the area at the intake end of pipes 1.

Each nozzle 9 is fitted therein with a vertically adjustable deflector vane l0 pivoted at its inner end, as at l I, in the corresponding nozzle centrally of its height and adjustable, vertically, by suitable means such as an exterior control lever 62. These deflector vanes Iii predetermine the height of distance above the ground to which the dust will be thrown.

Above the blower 3 the unit includes, in space relation, a hopper I3 having a bottom feed opening l4, and feed through said opening [4 is regulated by a feed control shutter or valve !5 whose setting is regulated by a rod IS.

The hopper I3 adjacent but above the bottom feed opening [4 is fitted with an agitator mechanism which includes a horizontal cross shaft l1 driven exteriorly of said hopper and from the (give shaft 2 by an endless belt and pulley unit Within the hopper l3 and on opposite sides of the bottom feed opening [4 the cross shaft I! is fixed with rowsof agitator plates [9. The plates [9 of each row are angled on the cross shaft I! in a manner to feed toward the opening I l.

The top of the blower housing 4 is formed, directly below the bottom feed opening H! of the hopper l3, with the following adjustable, distributor mechanism:

The top 20 of the blower housing 4 is formed with a plurality of circumferentially spaced intake ports 2! defined by a spider 22, these ports registering with the central opening in the blower 3, as shown in Fig. 1. At the center thereof the spider 22 is fitted with an upstanding bolt 23 and a flat, circular distributor plate 24 surrounds such bolt; the distributor plate having an enlarged bore 25 which permits of said plates adjustment a certain distance transversely of the blower axis and in any selected horizontal direction.

The circular distributor plate 24 lies flat atop the central portion of the spider 22 but laps the intake ports 2! to some extent. Such distributor plate 24 is normally locked in adjusted position by a locking cap 26 on the bolt 23 and normally maintained under pressure by said bolt against such plate.

In operation of the above described crop dusting unit the dust is fed from the hopper I3 through the bottom feed opening l4 and falls by gravity towards the blower housing; such feed in constant flow being assured by reason of the described agitator mechanism.

After feeding through the opening H the dust engages the distributor plate 24 and is then immediately sucked into the blower housing I by the blower 3 through the intake ports 2|. In the housing 4 the dust is thoroughly admixed with air and is then delivered as a forceful stream through the lateral discharge pipes 1 and out of the nozzle 9 onto the crop.

Adjustment of the circular distributor plate 24 transversely of the blower axis to give varying overlap relative to the intake ports 2| is provided for the reason that it is desirable that controlled proportioning of delivery of the dust through the respective ports 2| relative to the position of the outlets 8 be obtained. With different types of dust, i. e. of different granular size or weight, the point in the circumference of the blower and housing relative to the position of theou-tlets 8 at which the greatest portion of the dust drops from plate 24 into the housing, is important.

A vertical plate P preferably extends between the uprights la from the hopper to a point below the top of housing 4 to prevent longitudinal air currents from disturbing the dust flow from the hopper outlet onto plate 24.

The above described crop dusting unit provides an efficient and effective apparatus for the dusting of crops wherein it is desirable that the dust be distributed forcefully and yet evenly through the discharge pipes 1 and outof the nozzles 9.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new and useful and upon which Letters'Patent is desired:

1. A crop dusting unit comprising an upstanding framaa dust hopper mounted on the frame, a vertical axis blower mounted on the frame below the hopper in position to receive dust therefrom, means to drive the blower, said blower in- '4 eluding a housing, the top of the housing having a circumferential row of intake openings therethrough about the blower axis and defined by a spider included in said top, a circular dust distributor plate seated on the central portion of the spider and disposed normally coaxially with respect to the blower axis and lapping the intake openings to a partial extent, said distributor plate having an enlarged central opening, ,a locking cap on the distributor plate over said central opening, and a bolt extending from the cap to the spider through said enlarged hole whereby to normally secure the plate infixed position but permitting of selective adjustment thereof transversely of. the blower axis, and a discharge pipe leading from the blower.

2.14. crop dusting unit including in combination, a supply hopper having a downwardly discharging outlet opening, a blower, such blower including a housing, a vertical drive shaft for the blower disposed substantially co-axially with said outlet opening, the blower housing being spaced below said outlet opening, the housing being provided with a plurality of intake ports about the vertical axis of the shaft, a flat distributor plate on the upper face of the housing and partially overlapping the ports, the hopper opening being adapted to discharge material from the hopper directly onto said plate by gravity, and means mounting the plate on the housing for horizontal adjustment thereon in any direction relative to the axis of the blower.

ERIC M. WOOCK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 40,078 Howard Sept. 22, 1863 392,289 Roach Nov. 6, 1888 423,814 Richards Mar. 18, 1890 511,781 Leggett Jan. 2, 1894 546,526 Greene Sept. 17, 1895 578,400 Gilmore Mar. 9, 1897 684,261 Johnson Oct. 8, 1901 1,420,601 Wright June 20, 1922 1,674,391 Dunnagan June 19, 1928 1,724,805 Root Apr. 13, 1929 1,832,963 Burger Nov. 24, 1931 1,851,406 Ross et al. Mar. 29, 1932 1,862,666 Duncan June 14, 1932 1,957,308 Armour May 1, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 39,506 Germany June 27, 1887 382,012 Great Britain Oct. 20, 1932 

